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Metal Jewellery 4: Focus

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Create professional work. This program allows you to take your experience with metal jewellery creation to the next level, with courses that refine your skills so you can start your business or professional practice. Graduate with a portfolio you can put to use right away.

This is a non-credit program offered through Continuing Education and Training.

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Location

Length

Delivery
Campbell River
 Winter		 7 weeks In-person
Full-time

Registration opens June 2.

Overview

This program is suited for graduates of NIC's Metal Jewellery Foundation, Fundamentals and Fusion micro-credentials — or for artisans with formal training who want to elevate their skills.

This seven-week program is structured to allow students to progressively build skills in efficient studio workflow through lectures, demonstrations and guided bench time in-studio. Our curriculum also includes weekly assignments to help students practice new skills.

You'll learn:

  • Precision tool handling
  • Stone setting
  • Advanced finishing techniques
  • Metal casting
  • Mold making
  • Enameling
  • Repoussé techniques
  • Tool making
  • Advanced fabrication

Courses

This course ventures further into the world of custom design practices. Working with a real-life client, we'll cover how to approach design, costing, scheduling for production and sourcing materials. By the end of the course, students will create a rendering for a custom design, cost out the job and make a time schedule for production.

Building off of Metal Techniques 3, this course covers advanced stone settings, such as channel and bead settings for faceted stones. Students will be guided on creating various types of settings, as well as the tools needed to finish them. Students will also create more complicated ring and pendant styles with advanced soldering and fabrication techniques — as well as delve into nameling, repoussé and chain making. Lastly, this course provides an in-depth look at tool making and how to harden and temper tools so they will last for years.

Building on Metal Casting 3, this course covers the preparation of carving precision models and wax carved stone settings. We'll investigate techniques for casting stones in place with molten metals — as well as go into the limitations of each process. Students will have the opportunity to create a rubber mold of their own design and cast duplicates of their pieces to create a limited series — as well as produce wire, tubing and plate from their recycled metals.

For their final project, students will design and create their own jewellery production series that includes at least three finished jewellery pieces of their choice, using at least four techniques they have learned during this course.

 

Schedule

Next class: Feb. 22 to April 8, 2027.

Classes will run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

Supplies

These items are mandatory for the first day of class. A detailed list, including a recommended supplier and estimated costs, will be provided to you prior to classes starting.

  • Beeswax or beeswax candle
  • Economy end cutters
  • Drill (twist) bits set
  • File handles
  • Files needle – fine (number four, 6")
  • Files needle – medium (number two, 6")
  • GRS graver square (2 mm)
  • Graver mushroom handle
  • Riveting hammer
  • Chasing hammer
  • Rawhide economy hammer
  • Copper sheet – 20 gauge
  • Copper sheet – 18 gauge
  • Brass sheet – 18 gauge
  • Combo half-round/flat pliers
    • Economy chain nose pliers
    • Economy flat nose pliers
    • Economy round nose pliers
  • Polishing buffs – yellow chemkote 3"
  • Polishing buffs –Finex muslin 3"
  • Jewellers 4" throat saw
  • Saw blades 3/0 per gross (12 dz)
  • Silver solder – easy
  • Silver solder – medium
  • Silver solder – hard
  • Split mandrels for sanding
  • Tweezers – cross lock curved
  • Tweezers – cross lock straight
  • Tweezers – utility
  • Polishing finger tape
  • Economy steel square (2")
  • Curved steel burnisher
  • Snap-on mandrel
  • Silicone polishing set
  • Ten Triplet loupes (18 mm)
  • Norton single sheet 600 emery paper
  • SuperQ setting burr (4 mm)
  • SuperQ setting burr (3 mm)
  • SuperQ ball burr (0.9 mm)
  • SuperQ ball burr (2 mm)
  • SuperQ ball burr (2.4 mm)
  • SuperQ hart burr (2.7 mm)

Careers

Our metal jewellery alum pursue independent work as artisans, but also find opportunities applying their technical skills in apprenticeships and other professional settings.

$34,800*

Annual estimated earnings for jewellers, jewellery and watch repairers and related occupations in BC. 
Career profile

*Based on WorkBC data

$46,926*

Annual estimated earnings for artisans and craftpersons in BC. 
Career profile

*Based on WorkBC data

Costs

The tuition: posted soon. 

To register for this program fill out and submit the digital form. After we've received your registration form, you’ll receive an email from NIC with your next steps. Be sure to add @nic.bc.ca to your safe sender list.

Get started

Questions? Connect with our team at cet@nic.bc.ca or 250-334-5005. 

Related programs

Stack your training with the Metal Jewellery suite of programs.

Frequently asked questions

If you're already experienced in jewellery making, you may be able to start with Metal Jewellery 2 or Metal Jewellery 3. The appropriate level will depend on your skillset and safety knowledge. Contact cet@nic.bc.ca to book an interview with the lead instructor to get started. 

You'll have to supply a few things yourself (see the supply list above) and you'll be provided with a some materials for use in learning certain metal jewellery techniques. If you're planning on taking more than one level of metal jewellery design, you may be able to save yourself time by shopping for supplies for both programs at once. The studio itself is fully equipped with all the tools you'll need for making jewellery. If you choose to work metals such as sterling silver, brass or bronze, you can purchase these metals at a wholesale rate during class. If you want to work with gold, you may need to purchase further equipment. 

Yes, of course! You're welcome to bring in any metals or cabochon gemstones you'd like to work with. In Metal Jewellery 2 and 3, you can even re-purpose your previously used metal and gemstones from other projects. Check with the instructor to see if the supplies you have are suitable for the projects and techniques you'll be working on.

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Still have questions?

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